Be the Light

16. The Compromise

Fouls were never hard to find, although Wooyoung never had a reason to search for them. Not even the nastiest raider ready to end their miserable existence would pick that way to go. If a nest hid nearby, it would be best to round it and pick a cliff to jump from if the bumbling dead didn't remind one why death might not mean any more peace than survival.

In the desert, it was easy to recognize the traces of their dragging feet. The forest wasn't covered in sand, but the occasional flap of skin or puss oozing from festering wounds accompanied the horde.

However, all traces the group found today were old. The usually sticky fluids had discolored on the ground and lost their scent. When Yunho nudged his foot into a missing toe that had fallen off a rotting foot, it was leathery and dry.

"Did they leave?" Wooyoung pondered as they checked the areas where the trees huddled closest and offered more shade. Even the nearby worn bunker was empty, although the fouls' traces hinted at a nest.

"Seonghwa predicted the sunlight would ward them off. I imagine the fungus is desperate to find a place where its hosts can survive. Will they flee to buildings now?" Yunho pondered out loud when he got to his feet after crouching over another useless trace of fluid. 

"Most likely. But the temperatures also changed and might make striving difficult," San confirmed and though he kept mostly quiet, he offered his personal knowledge.

Jongho looked down on himself, and at the calf that doomed him to an untimely death.

"How do you feel? It hasn't reached your nerves yet, but do you feel energized if you are inside?" Yeosang immediately asked while they trudged through the empty forest. Contrary to what Seonghwa said, it wasn't green yet. Wooyoung supposed not enough water ended up in this area, but others should be striving. 

"The sun... Pretty, pretty sun. The pretty sun is so exhausting... I want to sit down with my leg," Jongho mumbled, bleary from stumbling around outside. Wooyoung definitely related that walking below its constant shine robbed him of his might, but he had no specific leg that wanted its peace.

"Then we can conclude the sun kills off or at least withholds the fungus. That means Seonghwa was right. In due time, all infected should die out unless they bury deep in the earth," Yeosang shared, excited about the theory. 

Hesitant, Yunho glanced at Jongho.

"So... Does that mean we can heal him before it assumes control?"

Jongho held his breath and stared at Yeosang with hopeful eyes. Insecurity reflected in the surgeon's pinched expression.

"I cannot promise that, but we also can't rule it out. With this new knowledge, I would like to decode the research those people conducted at the CRC. Perhaps they were onto something that might grant us the missing peace."

Before Jongho could jump in joy, Yeosang sent him a cramped smile.

"I will do my best for you. A life for a life. Let's not give up now that we have the resources and the details," he offered with a tentative warmth, and Jongho immediately agreed. As usual, he was fired up whenever there was something broken to turn whole.

"I can do without killing those fuckers for a while. Gives us a break if you need us," Wooyoung sighed. For the first time in an eternity, he didn't feel he had to watch his surroundings constantly. Nothing rustled, and the forest lay abandoned. He, Yunho, and San stood with empty hands. 

"Seonghwa will definitely have something to do for us. Even if it's just polishing his antenna," Yunho snickered, and they agreed to make their way back. In shared marvel at the sun and the sky, they almost ran into several trees, but nothing attacked them and the world was at peace.